NCT07275138

Acute Cardiovascular and Neuromuscular Responses to Walking With Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) in Older Adults

Acute Cardiovascular and Neuromuscular Responses to Walking With Blood Flow Restriction in Older Adults: a Study Protocol for a Randomized Crossover Trial

• Status: Not Yet Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 20 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Universidade da Coruña · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 60 Years – 90 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore how walking combined with different levels of partial blood flow restriction (BFR) affects cardiovascular, neuromuscular, and movement (kinematic) variables in older adults. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does walking with BFR increase internal effort, as shown by cardiovascular changes, and is this effect proportional to the level of restriction? Does walking with BFR temporarily reduce neuromuscular control, and is this reduction greater at higher restriction levels? Does walking with BFR change gait movement patterns? This study uses a crossover design, meaning that each participant will complete all four conditions and serve as their own control. Participants will: Take part in walking sessions under four conditions with different levels of restriction: BFR40%, BFR80%, SHAM (0% BFR), and CON (without BFR). Have their cardiovascular responses, muscle performance, and gait movement patterns measured. Report their perceptions of the sessions, including Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), satisfaction, and possible side effects.

Detailed description

This innovative research project aims to explore the effect of the novel BFR technique, combined with walking, as a non-pharmacological strategy to prevent or reverse sarcopenia and thereby improve the quality of life in sedentary older adults. BFR involves the use of a specialized pneumatic cuff to restrict venous blood flow to a muscle while partially inhibiting arterial flow, and it can be applied either at rest or in combination with exercise. The application of BFR combined with exercise has shown promise as a tool to induce favorable physiological effects at lower training doses, that is, at lower intensities (e.g., lower intensities or slower walking or running speeds), compared to active control groups. However, despite the promising benefits reported in some studies, comprehensive investigation of the cardiovascular and neuromuscular responses during BFR combined with walking remains a largely unexplored area, both in healthy participants and special populations. This knowledge gap is particularly relevant when considering the substantial benefits that older adults and individuals with mobility limitations could gain from BFR combined with walking, especially given their potential difficulty in adhering to the minimum exercise dosage requirements recommended by the World Health Organization

Conditions

• Healthy Older Adults

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Walking	Participants will perform two continuous 10-minute walking bouts, separated by a 3-minute seated recovery period to allow reperfusion following BFR or pause, along a rectangular 40-meter walking circuit (15×5 m). Walking cadence will be standardized at 112 steps per minute.

Timeline

• Start date: 2025-12-08
• Primary completion: 2026-01-01
• Completion: 2026-01-01
• First posted: 2025-12-10
• Last updated: 2025-12-10

Locations

2 sites across 2 countries: Portugal, Spain